The present invention pertains in general to highway sacrificial safety barriers and relates, more particularly to a sacrificial barrier that is usually disposed in front of a stationary structure to cause a gradual controlled deceleration of the vehicle, preferably within a relatively small distance to prevent the vehicle from contacting the immovable structure. Barriers of this type are typically placed along the highway in front of such structures as bridge supports or other relatively heavy obstructions that might occur along the highway.
With regard to the subject matter of this invention, the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,606,258; 3,856,268; 3,643,924; 3,880,404; and 3,916,816 show typical barriers that may be used along a highway. These barriers typically use an outer breakable container that is at least partially filled with a relatively heavy dispersible mass such as sand. The structures are constructed so that the center of gravity of the overall structure is elevated so as to provide optimum resistance to the impact of the vehicle; at the same time preventing any undesired vertical movement of the vehicle when striking the barrier or array of barriers. In this connection, it is important that the vehicle be brought to a stop relatively gradually and without there being any substantial change in the direction or elevation of the vehicle.
One of the prior art arrangements such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,258 employs a cylindrical body with a mass of sand disposed inside the body and supported by a core assembly with an impervious plate or top on the core assembly. The core assembly is typically composed of a number of straight sections which are individually arranged in an "egg crate" arrangement. The table construction in the prior art is thus complex to construct the time consuming to construct.
With the prior art barrier arrangement, it has been found, expecially after a relatively long period of time, that the sand in the upper portion of the container tends to leak at one or more places into the bottom secton of the container filling some of the voids in the core assembly thus changing the center of gravity. Also, there may be a tendency for the container to separate from the core assembly. Eventually, it is possible and sometimes common for the barrier to tip over itself especially when sand leakage is unequal, tending to make one side of the container heavier than the other side.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved highway inertial sacrificial barrier having a container with sand or the like material therein supported by a table structure and wherein there is a friction fit providing an effective seal between the container and the table structure to prevent any leakage of the sand or other dispersible mass.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved highway sacrificial inertial barrier wherein no appreciable space is allowed for whatever minute quantity of sand or other dispersible mass may leak between container and table, thus insuring no substantial change in center of gravity of the whole.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved highway sacrificial barrier wherein the container is prevented from riding up on the table primarily because of the friction fit therebetween.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a highway sacrificial inertial barrier that can be quite readily erected even by an unskilled person. This is most important in that many times these barriers must be erected along the highway in a relatively unsafe location. It is desired, therefore, to have a barrier that can be erected quite quickly so that the person erecting the barrier is not subjected to the unsafe condition for any longer period of time than is necessary.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a highway sacrificial barrier that is relatively simple in construction, has a table structure that is preferably constructed in a single piece, and that can be manufactured at relatively low cost.